"A Crown of Thorns the World Has Plaited," a hymn on the Sacred Heart
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 249
    Grace and peace, everyone. Here's a new piece---text, tune, and harmonization mine---on the Sacred Heart of the Lord Jesus. I've called the tune CORONA SPINEA; it is in 9.7.9.7.3.3.7.

    1. A crown of thorns the world has plaited,
    Jesus Christ, around Your Heart;
    The true Messiah long-awaited
    Steadfast suffers wicked art;
    Pride and scorn
    Here are borne
    Sin by sin and thorn by thorn.

    2. That human Heart in joy was fashioned
    Daily 'neath Our Lady's own
    And sang salvation through Your Passion
    On the Holy Cross alone;
    Sweetest Friend,
    Born to spend
    Of Your music till the end!

    3. Your splendid Heart, O Lord arisen,
    Bleeding, breaking, loves us still
    And beats with Truth, that we might listen
    To Your Word and do Your Will;
    Yet what ear
    Bends to hear
    In this world of flames and fear?

    4. O Sacred Heart of Christ my treasure,
    Grant that I, a sinner born,
    May sing your mercies passing measure,
    Fearing not the crown of thorn;
    Suffering,
    Yet I'll bring
    This poor heart to my true King!

    (c) 2023 Anna Bendiksen
    ACrownofThorns.mp3
    611K
    ACrownofThorns.pdf
    42K
    Thanked by 8CHGiffen sdtalley3 francis ServiamScores JonathanKK M. Jackson Osborn smt Brian Michael Page
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,924
    Anna, this is a truly wonderful text. Thank you for sharing it! I also think this is probably your best tune yet.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 249
    ServiamScores, wow, thank you so much!!

    (Fixed a word in the third verse)
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,210
    Text and music both excellent!!
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 249
    @CHGiffen thank you very much. That means a great deal.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 301
    This text is wonderful.
    The tune is good, I think it is a little clunky in places. If I were to edit this melody, I would do:
    -m1 b4 quarter note on D
    -m2 b 3 quarter note on C
    -m3 b3 2 eight notes (B-A) leading down to G
    -m4-m8 make similar alterations where melody is symmetric
    -I would remove the arpeggiation in the melody in m4. I would change m 12 to be symmetric with whatever change was made in 4
    -I would change most of the f#s to f natural
    -I would end m8 on the tonic chord
    -I would reharmonize some sections but written harmony is just a suggestion for most hymns anyway... :)

    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 249
    .
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,425
    Beautiful text and tune.
    The tune has a Welsh air about it.

    I would make the soprano just a g quarter note in the penultimate measure.
    And in mm. 2 and 6 I would make the soprano just a c quarter on the last beat.
    The rhythm in mm 9 & 10 reminds me of another hymn which I can't remember just now.
    (Not at all that you should change it!)
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 725
    Very nice Anna_Bendiksen. My only suggestion would be to change "plaited" to "woven or braided." That makes more sense to me when I think about the "crown of thorns", and I think it is more inline with the Gospels. I also say this because I had to look up the meaning behind "plaited", which is perhaps what you intended?

    I think too, "human heart" would have more meaning if you said "divine heart." This would point to or be an allusion to the "sinless state" of the Blessed Mother.
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 249
    Don9of11, thank you for your kind comment. I am afraid I disagree with your emendations. I chose those very words quite deliberately. "Plaited" is not merely a lot easier to rhyme, but is also, simply put, the modern version of the KJV's "platted." I also chose "human" precisely because, yes, while Christ's heart is both human and divine, I wished to focus on the former attribute, since one usually hears about the latter.
    Thanked by 2liampmcdonough CHGiffen
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